The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-10-27
Agriculture.


What Arc We gong 10 do with the pas.
turesf That portion Of our farm that
feeds our stock bali the year, with no cost
for harvesting the crop. Is neglected and
abused The worst Year alter year and
generation after generation stock have
been turned ont 10 The morning aud taken
up al night; the manure left 10 the yards
or highways. The prevalence Of this Gus.
tom and the habit Of taking what comes
aud being satisfied have blinded our eyes
TO the fact that pastures can be and are
becoming exhausted and that on this ac-
count the farm income is growing less
where II should be on the increase We
dig rocks aud stumps aud clear mp and
manure field 10 pillow, 90 which we must
harvest All the crops that are grown. and
think we are doing something TO be proud
Of; but We seldom turn our attention 10
the acres Of land where we expect our
stock to grow and produce milk, which
are covered With weeds aud ferns and moss
and bushes, aud which with the same pre-.
psratory labor and little mannring would
produce grass for many years where the
cattle would do their own harvesting
Perhaps the occasional agitation OF the
soiing question has caused some farmers
10 wait mCre patiently for some other sys-
sem to take the place OF the present. but
stock will he pastnred half the year for
many generations to come. and with the
great and permanent interest that is being
taken 10 darying. aud the bright prospects
for the future Of stock growing in New
England, the pasture and how to improve
it should he the great study OF our
farmers.
After all has been done that can be done
by clearing mp and blowing there will re-
main large tracts OF soil that are too rocky
to be worth clearing. but would produce
Q large amount Of the best pasture grass If
the weeds aud bushes could be subdued.
This must take time and determined labor
1t will not do to work few days hacking
among the tallest bushes once in q few
years and let the sprouts grow up again.
Take portion each year and clear it as
you go and be in earnest about it, Bushes
that are liable to sprout should be pulled
up by the roots, and this can be done
very readily by team with forked hook
on the chain, or with a short linked cable
chain to wrap around the bush near the
ground Pile the pushes on the messy
knobs and burn them of when dry and
SOW on grass seed. Waste chaff from the
barn floor, especially if the hay was cut
late, will be good for this purpose.
Another plan that might be adopted is
to fence off each year a portion of such
pastures and keep stock out and let all the
weeds and grass and brakes grow, and
when they are dead and dry. late 10 the
fall or early in the spring, burn the ground
over and the fire will kill the bushes and
leave the space around them clear so they
can be cut or pulled up more readily. In
all cases be sure you put on grass seed.
Dry, sandy or gravelly knobs should be
topdressed with some fine manure and
narrowed thoroughly to give fresh soil for
the seed to start in.
There are many farmers paying taxes on
fifty acres OF what they call pasture, who
do not get as much grass from it as five
acres OF good close blue grass sward would
produce The cradle knobs are covered
with brown moss, and every rock is sur
rounded by tuft OF brakes, and the best
part OF the remainder occupied with bull
thstIes that cattle dare not disturb.
Then there are long strips called ewales
that are too wet to pillow and too cold to
produce anything fit for food, yet have
come to be regarded as valuable because in
time OF drouth cattle will wander into
them and live on the tasteless grass and
rank, bitter weeds. These swales are in
many cases the source OF the mysterious
flavor in milk, and draining is ell they
need to make them the best part OF the
pasture. Large open bitches with slop.
ing banks will do here, but good covered
drains would be more permanent. Get
the water out Of them some way and SOW